The University of Google: Education in the (Post) Information Age

Citation

Ole Pors, N. (2008), "The University of Google: Education in the (Post) Information Age", New Library World, Vol. 109 No. 11/12, pp. 589-591. https://doi.org/10.1108/03074800810921403

Five years ago I was sure that Denmark would never legislate on smoking. Now the sensible or strict policy depending on perspective is a fact. Six years ago I was sure that research assessment exercises as we know it from UK would never have a chance to be introduced in Scandinavia. At the moment, all Scandinavian countries are working with similar schemes. The culture of assessment becomes more and more widespread. Some of the main points in the culture of assessment are, of course, concepts such as quality, user orientation, free choices and responsive public institutions. The approach to quality – whatever it is – has changed greatly in most sectors of society and it is now connected more to perceptions and satisfactions than it is to the values and norms of the profession. This culture of assessment has also permeated educational institutions and this is what the book under review is about. Many academics feel rather uneasy in this situation because professional standards are perceived to be undermined by management's emphasis on recruitment, retention of students and number of output. This uneasiness is strengthened by the observation that the influence of academics in matters traditionally considered pure research and teaching tend to decrease. This development was the main reason I looked forward to reviewing this book.

Tara Brabazon from the University of Brighton has written a disturbing book. It is also a good and enjoyable read even if it is a bit frightening in the perspectives. It is a very passionate book written by a teacher and researcher who really worries about the developments in the educational institutions. The passion is based on a comprehensive insight in matters concerning learning, literacies, communication and policies affecting the universities. The fact that the author has worked with these topics for several years and has reflected upon them makes the book disturbing. In some ways, it gives meat and blood to the uneasy feelings many academics have about the direction of teaching and research.

The book is organised in three sections and eight chapters. The sections are named Literacy, Culture and Critique. The author approaches several topics in the book. She writes about the consequences of Google in relation to support the development of students, especially students from a disadvantaged background. She contemplates and argues in relation to the ideology, language and managerialism we see, for example, in concepts such as flexible learning, e‐learning, and she deals with the wider social and economic contexts such as the so‐called creative industries and knowledge economy.

The first section starts with the observation that many students tend to be less rigorous in their academic style than before. Google, and the use of Google is central in the first section and the author discusses the use of it in especially in relation to students' assignments. The section contains a very interesting discussion about the relation of the structure in society and different types of literacies including computer literacy. Her biggest concern is obviously the university system's inadequacy to cope with or balance more traditional information requirements in relation to the often rather shabby internet information at least some of the students tend to use as the main stuff in their assignments.

This reviewer found it useful to see how Brabazon has tried to overcome some of the literacy problems giving assignments that included requirements about searching and types of references. It is a main concern for the author to discuss the consumerism that has permeated into the information area implying that students use a lot of time creating or reading blogs and similar pieces of often rather useless information, opinions and idiosyncrasies. The other concern in the first section deals with the problem about disadvantaged groups in society and how they can cope with the educational system.

The next section deals with the ideology of flexibility in the educational process. Brabazon conveys the message that quite a lot of the talk about flexibility and self directed learning comes from the market economy, and her main thesis is that it is dangerous to consider the educational process as running a supermarket. She also convincingly argues that that universities ought to be the opposite of consumer places. They ought to be structured and rigorous in content and structure. Massification and self directed learning tend to sell out students coming from a background without many educational traditions. Most of all, the argument is that flexibility and self directed leaning with emphasis on skills shifts the attention from theorising, reflection, discussion and communication to a more consumer oriented approach to learning. It also tends to shift the attention away from what is probably the most important phenomena for students. It is to be recognised, receive personal attention and have demanding intellectual challenges that the system takes seriously. The chapter named “An i‐diots guide to i‐lectures” in this section was revealing for the reviewer. The chapter investigates the economic background, discusses copyright issues, payment schemes and the benefit or demerits of i‐lectures for students.

In the last section of the book, many of the problems are discussed in a wider – even global – context.

The reviewer has only been able to present a few of the many very important points and arenas for discussion opened up by this very important book. The book has the form of a series of essays but with plenty of references to the current debate. It is really mainly about leaning and the way we are forced to talk about learning and education. The book is also a plea for striking the right balance between a more and more diversified mass of students, leaning methods and institutional priorities. The overriding approach is a very through and sound analysis of the ideological and economic foundations of a changing university system. In particular the ideological foundation is something academics ought to discuss more in the light of consumerism and managerialism. It is also a very brave book discussing and criticising the implications of many of the phenomena we find it hard to oppose simply because they permeate our daily lives and the institutions in which we work.

The book is not against Google, the internet, i‐lecture but it is a discussion about getting a balance. I would find the book extremely useful for librarians working with and developing information literacy activities or other librarians working with and advising students. The book is highly recommended as a both enjoyable and frightening read.